Jazz by Mail - Joe 'king' Oliver



Thursday, September 02, 2010 • Login •

Artist Signup
Don Wolff - I Love Jazz
Newsletter Signup
Our History
Showcase

Help

Artist List

New Releases
Best Sellers
The Gift of Music
Links

Browse by Genre
Blues
Boogie Woogie
Classic Jazz
Classic Jazzbands
Dixieland Jazz
Gospel Jazz
Guitar Jazz
Historic Recordings
Holiday Recordings
Holiday Spotlight
Honky Tonk
Hot Dance Bands
Inspirational
Instrumental Music
Irish Music
Italian Music
New Orleans Revival
Piano Jazz
Ragtime & Novelty
Rock 'n' Roll
Roots Rock
Swing Jazz
Traditional Jazz
Vocal Jazz
West Coast Revival

Browse by Catalog
Gaslight Records
Good Time Jazz Records
PianoMania Records
Upbeat Records (UK)
Lake Records (UK)
Arbors Records
Stomp Off Records

Featured Artists
Jim Cullum Jazz Band
Jimmy Roselli
John Pizzarelli
Mr. Jim Page

Join Our Email List

Joe 'king' Oliver

Joe Oliver is one of the most important figures in early Jazz. When we use the phrase Hot Jazz, we are really referring to his style of collective improvisation (rather than solos). He was the mentor and teacher of Louis Armstrong. Louis idolized him and called him Papa Joe. Oliver even gave Armstrong the first cornet that Louis was to own. Oliver was blinded in one eye as a child, and often played while sitting in a chair, or leaning against the wall, with a derby hat tilted so that it hid his bad eye. Joe was famous for his using mutes, derbies, bottles and cups to alter the sound of his cornet. He was able to get a wild array of sounds out of his horn with this arsenal of gizmos. Bubber Miley is said to have been inspired by his sound. Oliver started playing in New Orleans around 1908. At various times he was a member of several of the marching bands like The Olympia, The Onward Brass Band, The Original Superior and the Eagle Band. He often worked in Kid Ory''s band and in 1917 he was being billed as "King" by the bandleader. In 1919 he moved to Chicago with Ory and played in Bill Johnson''s The Original Creole Orchestra at the Dreamland Ballroom. He toured with the band, but when he returned to Chicago in 1922 he started King Oliver''s Creole Jazz Band at Lincoln Gardens (459 East 31st Street). Oliver imported his protégé Louis Armstrong from New Orleans. The band also included Johnny Dodds , Honore Dutrey, Lil Hardin and Baby Dodds among others. The group''s 1923 sessions were a milestone in Jazz, introducing the playing of Louis Armstrong to the world. Unfortunately the Creole Jazz Band gradually fell apart in 1924. Oliver went on to record a pair of duets with pianist Jelly Roll Morton that same year, and then took over Dave Peyton''s band in 1925, renaming it the Dixie Syncopators. Oliver moved the band to New York in 1927, where he made some lousy business decisions, like turning down the regular gig at the Cotton Club, that went on to catapult Duke Ellington to fame. Oliver had a life long sweet tooth. He was famous for his love of sugar sandwiches, This of course led to dental problems that made playing his cornet very painful. On top of that he was suffering from a bad back. In 1929 Luis Russell took over the Dixie Syncopators and changed the name to Luis Russell and his Orchestra. Oliver continued to record until 1931, but he was quickly becoming a forgotten name. He continued to tour the South with various groups, until he ran out of money and settled in Georgia, where he worked as a janitor in a poolroom up until his death in 1938.

		1929-1930 The mature talent of the first master of Jazz Trumpet. more .. J S P Records Label Catalog No: JSP3404 On Sale $16.95
		The Alternative Takes 22 track compilation contains 18 tracks from King Oliver & 4 tracks from Russell, all ... more .. Neatwork Label Catalog No: NW2022 On Sale $16.95
		Sweet Like Us Oliver is remembered not only for his classic Creole Jazz Band recordings, but also for his ... more .. Sounds of Yesteryear Label Catalog No: SY665 On Sale $15.95
		I''ll Still Be King King Oliver played in Kid Ory's band, one of the first all black New Orleans jazz bands. His ... more .. Fabulous Label Catalog No: FAB139 On Sale $15.95
		1930-1931 That King Oliver's last records show a musician whose prime had passed should not be ... more .. Classics Records Label Catalog No: CLA594 On Sale $16.95
		1928-1930 more .. Classics Records Label Catalog No: CLA607 On Sale $16.95
		1926-1928 King Oliver recorded 27 different titles with his Dixie Syncopators between 1926 and 1928. The ... more .. Classics Records Label Catalog No: CLA618 On Sale $16.95
		Sugar Foot Stomp Vol.1 more .. Frog Label Catalog No: DGF34 On Sale $16.95
		Farewell Blues Vol.2 more .. Frog Label Catalog No: DGF35 On Sale $16.95
		Shake It & Break It more .. Jazz Hour Records Label Catalog No: JH73536 On Sale $16.95
		Great Original Performances 1923-1930 more .. L R H R Records Label Catalog No: LRHR607 On Sale $29.95
		Dippermouth Blues This charts the cornetist's short but brilliant career in New Orleans jazz, included 6 tracks ... more .. Asv Living Era Label Catalog No: ASV5218 On Sale $11.49
		The Complete Set One of the most famous sets of recordings in jazz history is presented here complete and in ... more .. Challenge Records Label Catalog No: CHA79007 On Sale $29.95

help | your account |